Baseball batting tee



0. J. ALDER ET AL BASEBALL BATTING TEE Sept. 15, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Nov. 27, 1950 In ventar lder Orin J A Frank Jacobs Sept. 15, 1953o. J. ALDER ET AL 2,652,250

BASEBALL BATTING TEE Filed Nov. 2'7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor OrinJ. Alder Fran/r Jacobs Patented Sept.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,652,250 BASEBALL BATTING TEE Orin All!!!and Frank Jacobs, Boise, Idaho Aispiiati'ot November 27, 1950, SerialNo.

2 Glaims.

vide an improved mechanical structure which is capable of being foldedin that it will fit into a bat bag or a specially provided bag and yetwhen the device is set up it is capable of serving its functionproperly.

A further object of this invention is to provide tual baseball or asimulated one, which assembly includes a resilient element swinginglyihounted for protection of the bat and batter in the event that the ballis not properly struck.

Ancillary objects and features of importance will become apparent infollowing the description of the illustrated forms of the invention.

In the drawings: V I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken oh the line of 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the device in the folded condition; A V

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the ball holding assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line BB of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a part of the inner boom section; and

Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of a slightly modified form ofball holder.

In carrying out this invention there is provided a base H) which ispreferably made of tubular stock and includes sides l2 and [4 togetherwith ends 16 and 18 which are connected together by means of the crossmember 20.

A boom generally indicated at 22 consists of an inner boom section 24connected to an outer boom section 25. The inner boom section is madefrom two converging rods or tubes 28 and 30 which are connected togetherat their inner ends by the cross member 32 through which the spindle 34passes. The ends of the spindle are held in place in the bearings 36 and38, which are fixed to the sides 12 and I4 of the base.

A cross member 40 is rigidly fixed to the coin verging members 28 and 30near their outer ends and a U-shaped holder 42 has its legs disposed inthe bores of the converging members 28 and 30 to facilitate holding theconverging member assembled.

Axially aligned tubes 44 and 46 are welded or otherwise rigidly fixed tothe converging membetween the cross members 32 and 43 rod 58 which ispassed through The lower end or the rod 58 is pivoted as by the pin B'llwhich is disthe boom section 26 there is a pivot pin 16 which is passedthrough the bore of a sleeve '80 which a container or sack.

Attention is now invited to Figure 5. A pivot pin is illustrated in thisview, this pin passing through bearings 9| and 92 which are formed at aball retaining recess 95, for preventing the ball from inadvertentlyfalling from the standard.

Attached to the bearing 94 is a stud 96 which has the tube 91 threadedthereon. A counterweight 98 is fixed to the tube 91 to gravitationallyhold the standard 93 in the upright and proper ball holding position.

In Figure 8 there is a slightly modified version of the assembly forreleasably retaining the ball in place. The standard 99 is shaped verysimilar to the standard 93, but is slightly shorter. its bottom endthere is a tongue I which is fitted in the groove I92 of the block I94.This block has a bearing I06 disposed therein and is constructed verysimilar to thebearing 94*,Tserv ing the identical function. Thecounterweight holding element is connected in the socket I09 of thebearing I09 in order to prepare the ball holder for use at the outer endof the boom 22. By employing the structure of Figure 8 in lieu of thestructure of Figure a less expensive assembly may be obtained in as muchas there need be no fastening of rubber to metal since the block I94 maybe made of wood or other material.

The inner end of the boom section 26 overlaps the outer end of the boomsection 24 a slight amount and the overlapping portions constitute .-astop to hold the sections retained in a predeterimined hinged conditionas disclosed in Figure 2, whereby the sections may be easily folded tothe position shown in Figure 3 for storage and transportation. Intransit or storage the ball assembly may be removed by a simple removalof the pin 90.

In operation the device is adjusted to the desired height and the ballsimply placed in one of the recesses 95, depending upon which ballholding assembly is used. Then, the batter may practice either under thedirection of a coach or for his own satisfaction.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A baseball batters training device comprising a base, a first boomsection having its inner end pivoted to said base, means interconnectingsaid first boom section and said base for holding the first boom inselected pivoted positions, a hinge pin mounted on said first boomsection intermediate the inner and outer ends thereof, a second boomsection extending longitudinally of said first boom section, the innerend of said second boom section overlapping the outer end of said firstboom section and being pivotally connected to said hinge pin, theoverlapping ends of said sections constituting a stop for limitingpivotal movement of the second section in one direction, and meansmounted at the outer end of said second section for releasably holding aball, said base including forward and rearward ends and a cros memberextending between and interconnecting said ends, said first boom sectionbeing pivoted to said base adjacent the rearward end thereof andextending toward the forward end, said first mentioned means including arod pivotally secured to said cross member, a clamping sleeve rotatablycarried by said boom section, said rod being received in said clampingsleeve.

A baseball batters training device comprising a base, a first boomsection having its inner end pivoted to said base, means interconnectingsaid first boom section and said base for holding the first boom inselected pivoted positions, a hinge pin mounted on said first boomsection intermediate the inner and outer endsthereof, a second boomsection extending longitudinally of said first boom section, the innerend of said second boom section overlapping the outer end of said firstboom section and being pivotally connected to said hinge pin, theoverlapping ends of said sections constituting a stop for limitingpivotal movement of the second section in one direction, and meansmounted at the outer end of said second section for releasably holding aball, said last mentioned means including a pivot pin carried by theouter end of said second boom and a ball holding element carried by saidpivot pin and a counterweight carried by said ball holding element.

ORIN J. ALDER.

FRANK JACOBS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 849,941 Titus Apr. 9, 1907 1,274,882 I-Iess Aug. 6, 19181,284,010 Wilbur Nov. 5, 1918 ,757,260 Silverman May 6,1930 1,899,860Flower Feb. 28, 1933 1,962,087 Cone June 5, 1934 2,144,148 Gross Jan.1'7, 1939 2,227,310 Hoppes et a1 Dec. 31, 1940 2,553,105 Morey May 15,1951

